Under the Moon
by sugarmonkey778
Summary: Things are not always as they seem under the moon...
1. October

_New story for your enjoyment. Tell me what you think please, and I will give you what you want. _

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**Under The Moon**

October

**October 10****th**

The sun began to dip below the horizon and the moon shone at the edge of the eastern sky. It was full and bright against the deep indigo of the falling night. A light breeze blew the fallen leaves across the cobblestone street. They skittered across the road and jumped onto the sidewalk where they were picked up by a gust of wind and spun around in a vortex then dropped. Another draft of wind pushed them to the mouth of an alley where they stopped at the feet of a young woman.

She looked down at the little red maple leaf, colored by the autumn. After a moment they were captured by another breeze and blown down the sidewalk. She took a deep breath of crisp clean fall air and smiled. With a glance at the moon to her left she turned down the road and walked towards the sunset.

He trudged down the sidewalk, lagging behind his friends who spoke buoyantly to each other. He hadn't wanted to go out tonight, but what he wanted did not matter because it wasn't _his_ birthday.

"Come on Sasuke, you're holding us back! We should be at the bar by now!" Naruto shouted in his boisterous voice. Sasuke ignored him and kept his pace. The blonde man dropped back to walk beside his friend. "Cheer up dude. All you need is alcohol! That'll take care of your blues."

"I'm not blue" he replied defensively.

"It's not a big deal. Anyone who went through what you went through would be upset" said Naruto.

"We are not talking about that. You promised we wouldn't talk about it if I came out" Sasuke said. Naruto put his hands up in defense.

"Sorry. Look let's just try and have a good time tonight. OK?" He asked.

"What are you two ladies gabbing about?" Kiba shouted from the street corner ahead of them. "Less talking more walking! The hotties won't wait all night!"

"And they shouldn't have to, Kiba, I'm sure they'll be just devastated if you don't show up soon" Naruto yelled back with a smirk. He smiled reassuringly to Sasuke and rushed back to the front of the group to continue the banter.

The raven haired man shook his head and glanced over the wall to his right. They were walking past Sunshine Park, so named for its revolutionary design which allowed it to capture more sunlight at any given time than anywhere else in the city. So naturally it was deserted at night when there was no sunlight, but not tonight. In the middle of a small clearing, which was lit by a combination of the rays of the setting sun and their reflection off the full moon, there was a woman spinning in circles. Something about the woman caused him to stop walking and devote his attention to studying her.

She had long platinum blonde hair, that looked almost white in the light, and pale skin that seemed to shimmer in the soft yellow glow. Her white dress flared out around her as she spun and added to the ethereal radiance that surrounded her. Her arms where stretched towards the sky as if she were trying to touch the clouds. From where he stood he could just make out the smile she had on her face, it was so peaceful and bright that it could have been a source of illumination in the clearing.

She slowed down then stopped spinning and watched the sun set with sadness, as if it would never rise again, then looked over at him. He was transfixed on her hypnotic blue eyes as the last of the light made them shimmer and glow.

"Hey Sasuke!" Naruto called. "What's the hold up?" Sasuke blinked and glanced over at his friends. They were at the corner waiting impatiently for him. Before answering he looked back at the woman who was still observing him from the clearing. He watched as the light finally faded leaving only the moonlight to illuminate the clearing.

"N-nothing. I'm coming" he called back, tearing his eyes away from the strange woman and running to catch up with the group.

She watched him go and felt that mixture of emotion that she had believe belonged only to the sun. Trying to shake it off she turned sadly to the western horizon which was slowly fading to the same deep blue as the rest of the night sky.

The bar was crowded and noisy as the guys secured a table. Immediately Kiba jumped up to buy the first round of drinks.

"Let's get this party started!" He shouted as he passed the bottles of beer around. They drank and talked and got shot down by women for hours. By the fourth round Naruto noticed Sasuke was still on his second and became concerned.

"Sasuke, are you all right?" He asked. Sasuke, who was miles away, blinked and glanced over at his blonde friend.

"Huh, uh yeah. Yeah I'm fine" he replied.

"What are you thinking about?" Naruto inquired. "Because if you changed your mind about talking I'm here for you."

"No, it's not that. It's this girl I saw earlier, when we were walking here."

"Wow, I'm proud of you buddy" The blonde said happily.

"What? No, I don't even know this woman. She just, I don't know, seemed different" Sasuke explained feebly and took another sip from his bottle.

"Maybe you'll see her again. Then you can ask for her number."

"Yeah, sure. Thanks for the chat, I'm going to the bathroom" he said then stood and walked off. As he was walking he happened to glace out the window and noticed the woman from the park strolling down the sidewalk across the street. Impulsively he dashed out the door and hurried across the street calling out as he ran. "Hey, wait!"

She stopped and turned to face him. The moon high above their heads illuminated them as they stood and stared at each other in silence.

"Hello" she said politely. Sasuke found himself at a loss for words as he stared at her moonlit face which was even more hypnotic up close.

"I'm Sasuke" he managed to say. She smiled and his heart leapt.

"Ino" she replied.

"Have we met before?" He asked. Her smiled dropped and she glanced away nervously.

"No. Of course not" she answered.

"It's just that you seem so familiar. Like I've seen you somewhere before" he explained.

"Guess I've just got one of those faces" she chuckled.

"I saw you in the park" said Sasuke. She looked away out of embarrassment.

"Yeah I just like it there at sunset, because it's usually empty" Ino explained. "I must have looked insane."

"No you looked beautiful" he said then paused regretting his choice of response. "I'm sorry, that was weird, wasn't it?" She smiled again and shook her head.

"No, it was fine."

"I, I guess I should get back" he said. He began to turn around when she stopped him.

"Would you like to hang out tomorrow night?" She inquired. Sasuke smiled.

"Yes."

"Meet me in the park at sunset" Ino instructed then held her hand out. He took it and they shook hands.

"I'll be there."

**October 11****th**

As the sun slipped below the horizon Sasuke stood in the field alone. He had been wandering nervously about the park for around three hours now waiting for sunset and hoping Ino would show up.

Just when he was about to lose hope she appeared. She was smiling as she approached him.

"I'm glad you came" she said.

"Yeah, me too" he replied. She turned away from him to catch the last rays dissipate and then they were left with the light of a waning moon, the beams from the streetlights barely reaching them in the clearing. "So what do you want to do?" He asked nervously.

Sasuke had never felt nervous, especially around women, so this surprised him. He felt his heart hammering in his chest as he awaited her reply.

"Let's go for a walk" she replied brightly.

They roamed around the park for hours, sometimes talking sometimes just enjoying each other's company. They spoke of music and movies and their favorite foods. All the while he was dying to ask her about her life. Where she came from, who she was friends with, what was her family like, but he got the feeling that she didn't want to talk about that so he obliged.

Before either of them knew it was nearly sunrise. Ino glanced at the eastern sky with a sad smile.

"We've been out all night" she said. He glanced at his watch and realized she was right.

"I can't believe it. Time sure does fly" he replied. "The sun will be rising soon." She watched him sadly then glanced back at the lightening sky.

"I have to go" she said then walked up to him and took his hands in her own. "Would you like to do this again tomorrow?" She asked.

"I would like that very much" he replied. She smiled giddily and gave him a quick hug before dashing off.

"Same time same place!" She called back. He was left smiling like an idiot as the sun rose slowly above the horizon.

**October 27****th**

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ino asked tensely. Sasuke smiled and reached for her hand.

"Yes, my friends are dying to meet you. They want to know why I've been avoiding them for the past two weeks. No one believes you exist" he explained.

"What am I, Bigfoot?" She giggled.

"No, you're more like a ghost" he replied with a grin. She frowned and pulled her hand away. He stopped walking as the smile dropped from his face. "What's wrong? Something I said?" She paused a few steps ahead of him and studied his face. Then with a chuckle she replied.

"I don't believe in ghosts" her voice hinted at something beneath the words but Sasuke couldn't figure out what it was. They continued walking towards the door of the pub where his friends were waiting.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted eagerly as his friend approached the table. "I can't believe you actually showed up."

"Come on man, I told you I was gonna come out tonight. Have I ever lied to you before?"

"No, you've just been really flaky at work all week" he replied. He glanced around his dark haired friend at Ino sanding behind him. "And I assume this is why." A light blush flashed across her face and she smile charmingly at the other blonde.

"Ino, this is my good friend Naruto. Naruto this is Ino" Sasuke introduced.

"It is very nice to meet you" she said. Naruto stared at her for a moment looking confused.

"Have I seen you somewhere before?" he asked. She looked away anxiously then smiled.

"Uh, No, I just have one of those faces" she explained then turned towards the others sitting at the table.

"These are my other friends, Sakura and her boyfriend Lee, Naruto's girlfriend Hinata, and that's Kiba, Shino, Choji and Shikamaru."

"Hey" Kiba said with a suggestive eyebrow wiggle.

"Don't mind him, he hasn't been neutered yet" Sakura joked. Everyone laughed then Sasuke and Ino sat down and ordered drinks.

Hours passed and eventually everyone moseyed home and the bar closed and only Ino and Sasuke were left wandering the darkened streets under the new moon.

"You see, now was that so painful? You met my friends and had a few drinks."

"No it wasn't that bad" she replied.

"I don't know what you were so afraid of. It's not like we're dating and you had to met my parents" e sahid. She looked away uncomfortably, turning her eyes to the east. The unsure feelings that sometimes occurred around her crept up on him again and he racked his brain for the solution.

"I should go" she said. He didn't know what to say to fix the situation and he got the feeling that if he didn't say anything he would never see her again.

"Hey," he began. She turned around to face him. "Sakura's throwing a Halloween party, uh, on Halloween, of course" Sasuke was beginning to get annoyed with his inability to form proper sentences around this girl. She smiled sadly, an expression that was becoming routine for her.

"I'll be there" she promised. He smiled and watched her as she walked away, where she went during the day he did not know, but he was just happy to spend each night with her… for now.

**October 31****st**

The quarter moon shone brightly in the night sky over the city. Sasuke paced restlessly in front of the club Sakura reserved for the party. The sun had set nearly two hours ago and the party had started not long after but Ino had not yet arrived as she said she would. Over the past few nights she had been distant and reserved and it worried him.

"She still a no show?" Naruto peeked out the door to ask. He was dressed as a samurai complete with a plastic katana.

"She'll be here. I know it" he replied. The blonde shrugged then ducked back into the party. Sasuke glanced nervously at his Zorro costume then sighed and went back to pacing. As he turned to walk back the other way he froze when he saw her approaching.

She was breathtaking dressed as an angel. She wore a white dress and large feathered wings. Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight with every blink of her glitter covered eyelids. Sasuke smiled brightly at her.

"I'm sorry I'm late" Ino said. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"Not at all." She smiled at him and he held out his arm to escort her into the building.

Inside the music was blaring and the lights were flashing. There was a large crowd wearing all sorts of costumes dancing to the beat.

"Ino, you made it!" Sakura, who was dressed up as a renaissance queen, exclaimed. She playfully knocked Sasuke out of the way with her scepter to hug her new friend. "We were beginning to think you weren't coming."

"Yeah, we figured you'd come to your senses and dumped Sasuke" Naruto added with a laugh. Ino responded with a small smile.

"Dude, shut up. We… we're not dating" Sasuke said. She glanced at him for a moment then looked away. They stood in awkward silence for a beat or two.

"If you'll excuse me, Lee is flagging me down on the dance floor... or at least I think that's what he's doing" Sakura smiled at her friends then dashed off.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go see if Little Red Riding Hood wants to dance" Naruto said before walking over to Hinata and leaving the two to their uncomfortable silence. Ino watched Sasuke as he shifted from foot to foot, trying to find something to say.

"Do you want to dance?" She asked when she could no longer stand the discomfort.

"Sure."

They stepped out onto the floor and he took her hand and twirled her around. They danced for hours, laughing and talking all the while. Around 2am the party died down and everyone began dispersing. Ino and Sasuke stepped out the door into the chilled October night. They walked down the street arm in arm, laughing happily.

"So, we've been hanging out for like a month now and I don't really know you at all" he began. She grinned at him.

"What do you want to know?" She asked.

"Where are you from?"

"A small town way out in the country" she answered.

"What's it called?"

"You wouldn't know it." She smiled at him.

"How long have you been in the city?" He asked.

"Three years as of last month." She paused and looked at the ground sadly.

"Do you miss the country?"

"I miss a lot of things" she replied enigmatically. He studied her silently, once again feeling like there was something more to what she was saying that he just couldn't see.

Before he could ask about it she froze and stared off into the space behind him. He turned around and found they were standing just outside of a wide alley surrounded by buildings on three sides. There was a large mural painted on the wall they were facing. It showed the phases of the moon, with the largest image being the full moon. The light from the real moon shone down on it giving it the appearance of an internal glow.

Sasuke looked back at Ino and caught the shiver that ran through her body.

"Are you cold?" He asked. He prepared to remove his cape and offer it to her but she shook her head.

"No" she replied. She continued to stare at the mural for a few silent moments then tore her eyes away from it. "I should be going."

"But, it's still early. We could go back to my place?" He suggested. She frowned at him.

"Sasuke, I don't know what you think this is," she gestured between them, "I don't even know what this is, but it can't be anything more."

"Why not? Ino, I really like you, and I think that you like me the same way. So why can't this be more than it is?" He demanded. She glanced back at the wall quickly then looked him directly in the eye.

"It just can't. I really have to go. I'll… goodbye." With that she turned and rushed off into the darkness of the early November morning leaving Sasuke alone.

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_Now tell me every thought you had whilst reading this here chapter...or else a troll will squish you like a grape... maybe not but you don't want to take that chance, do you?_


	2. November

**Under The Moon**

November

**November 7****th**

The sun was resting just above the horizon turning the clouds around it a warm pink. People walked down the street bundled in coat and scarves to fight the ever dropping temperature of the fall. Leaves danced across the street, blown by a gust of wind.

He hurried down the street with his hands tucked in his pockets and his eyes on the ground. He glanced up quickly as he passed by the alley where he'd last seen her. He paused to stare at the mural on the wall. For a week now he would walk this path, always passing that picture. He was drawn to it for some reason he could not comprehend. Then he would continue on to the park where he first saw her. He did all of this hoping that he would find her again.

Today he stood by the alley longer than usual. His eyes slowly traced the lunar cycle depicted on the wall. Suddenly something came over him and before he realized what he was doing he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the mural.

When he reviewed the picture he noticed that the full moon was brighter than all the rest of the phases. It appeared to be its own light source. He blinked away the haze that had come down around him and slid the phone back in his pocket. With one last look at the wall Sasuke continued down the sidewalk.

The alley was silent as the light from the sunset faded and the moon rose high into the sky. Ino stepped out onto the sidewalk and stared sadly down the street that he had taken. She wrapped her arms around herself and began walking away.

**November 10****th**

Sasuke stared blankly at his computer screen. All around the sounds of keyboards, stapler, printers and other various office equipment created a symphony of monotony. His mind was consumed with the mystery of Ino and that alley. He knew there was something there, some kind of connection but it was just out of his reach.

"Dude!" Naruto shouted banging on the desk. "Where are you right now, man?" His joking thinly veiled the concern that he had for his friend. Sasuke knew that he was worrying him so he forced a smile and replied.

"The moon." This got a chuckle from Naruto.

"Yeah, it really seems that way what with you spacing out on us all the time" He began. "This is all because of that girl, isn't it?"

"I don't really want to talk about it" Sasuke said.

"Sasuke, you can't keep everything bottled up all the time. Eventually you're gonna burst" Naruto explained. "Talk to me. I'm your friend and I'm worried about you."

Sasuke frowned and thought about how to respond.

"I know you are. You just have to trust that if and when I need to, I'll come to you" he said calmly.

"I get it. OK, I'll leave you to your brooding." With that the blonde man walked away. Sasuke went back to staring at his monitor blankly and thinking about Ino.

After work Sasuke was invited out for drinks, as he always is at the end of the week. He declined politely and began walking his usual route to the park, as he did every night. He let his feet go on autopilot and his mind wander. All of his thought surrounded Ino and where she might be, why she disappeared from his life, what life would have been like had he never met her. Suddenly he stopped when he looked up he was at the intersection just before the alley. Something cleared in his head and he glanced down both paths.

Left would take him home, he would have a beer, watch TV and go to bed. Right would take him past the alley with the mural, and the park where she wouldn't be waiting, and the bar where he was the night he met her. In his mind images flashed by of what his life would be like depending on which way he turned. Left would lead to him moving forward, joining the real world and enjoying work, meeting someone nice and settling down. Right would mean he always be waiting for someone who wasn't there. Living in a memory surrounded by phantoms of the past.

A feeling of calm and acceptance washed over him and he turned left and began walking home.

**November 15****th**

Everyday becomes a routine for Sasuke. He goes to work, goes out to lunch with his friends then walks home on the same path. His mind was no longer filled with thoughts of Ino. He didn't wonder where she was or why she disappeared from his life or what life would have been like had he never met her. Everything was normal until Wednesday night.

He said goodnight to his Naruto and headed home. As he was nearing the intersection he glanced down the right side and paused. Thoughts formed at the back of his mind that he just couldn't reach so he shrugged it off and continued down the left road.

When he got to his building he stopped halfway up the front steps to glance at the sunset. Suddenly it hit him, the thought that had evaded him back at the intersection. He dropped his messenger bag and sprinted back down the street. He ran back to the intersection and down the right road all the way to the alley. There she stood, in the middle of the alley, facing the painting on the wall.

She knew he was there but she didn't turn around. He stood on the sidewalk in front of the alley, his breath coming out in clouds. Finally she turned to face him.

"I knew you'd come, eventually" she said sadly.

"I've been coming here for more than a week" he replied.

"I know."

He frowned but did not respond. They stood there in silence for a while simply staring at each other. Finally she ran over to him and threw her arms around him. He held and sighed happily.

"I'm sorry. I'm weak" Ino whispered. Sasuke stroked her hair soothingly and just smiled. She broke away and stared into his eyes for a moment.

"I think we should just start over." She proposed. She held her hand out and smiled. "Hi, I'm Ino."

"Sasuke" He replied and grabbed her hand for a shake.

**November 20****th**

"Dude, you are such a girl" Naruto joked. He and Sasuke were eating lunch together and talking. Things had been going well with Ino and Sasuke felt he should tell his best friend.

"Shut up" Sasuke said punching Naruto in the shoulder.

"You're all googly eyed and completely mooning over this girl. Is it serious?"

"I don't know. I can tell that she really likes me but she doesn't want to take it any farther than it is."

"And how far is that? Details please!"

Sasuke punched his friend again earning an "ouch" from the blonde.

"We're just friends" he replied.

"Ow, friend zoned" Naruto said with a wince.

"But it seems like more than that. I get the feeling that she's holding back on purpose, that she's hiding something."

"Maybe she's married or maybe she's a dude!" The blonde said excitedly. This got him another punch, this time harder. "Chill man, I'm joking. I'm sure she'll tell you eventually."

"Yeah, I know."

"But if she doesn't, you should really consider calling the whole thing off" Naruto said seriously. Sasuke stared out the window thinking about it.

**November 29****th**

Sasuke stood in his kitchen pouring two glasses of iced tea and popping popcorn. He glanced through the little window into his living room where Ino was sitting patiently on the couch glancing around the room. He smiled and turned back to the microwave which was beeping to indicate the popcorn was done. He poured it out into a bowl and carried it out to the living room.

"So are you ready for the cinematic excellence that is _Beetlejuice_?"

She nodded with a chuckle and he hit play on the remote. They settled in and watched the movie.

When it ended Sasuke got up and put the disk back in its case then sat down again.

"Is that what people think the afterlife is?" She asked with a laugh.

"No, that's just what Tim Burton thinks the afterlife is. Like they say in the film "It's all very personal." Sasuke replied.

"If I had to stay in the same house for eternity I would go mad" Ino explained.

"Then you shouldn't die in a Tim Burton movie" Sasuke said through a yawn. He leaned back into the couch and stretched his arms. They were both silent for a while before Ino began speaking again.

"Sasuke?"

"Hmm?" He replied sleepily. She stared at the darkened TV screen and took a deep breath.

"There's something I need to tell you. Hear me out for a minute and please don't say anything until I'm done" She requested. When he did not respond she continued. "I've been hiding something from you, er well, more like from the world, for a while now and I really need to say something because, well, because I really like you and I think I may even lo- well you know. I can tell you feel the same and it isn't fair that I'm doing this to you and not telling you everything. So I'm going to be completely honest with you from now on like you always have been with me. What I'm about to say is tough to explain and even tougher to understand and if by the end you don't want to see me anymore I will understand and I'll leave you alone."

She took another steadying breath and was about to continue when she heard something troubling. She turned to look as Sasuke for the first time since she began speaking and frowned. He was leaning back on the couch sleeping with his mouth open and light snores escaping. She stared at him for a minute then smiled sadly.

"Goodnight, Sasuke." She threw the blanket that was hanging over the back of the couch on him then stood up and walked to the door. When she was standing in the doorway she looked back at him. "Someday I'll be able to tell you everything."

Then she stepped out and gently closed the door behind her.


End file.
